Knitting machine



July 28, 1931. B. wlLLlNGl-IAM KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 14, 1950 3 SheetS-Sheet l MUN:

July 28, 1931, B. WILLINGHAM 1,815,416

I KNITTING' MACHINE Filed April 14, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 gba/ventola July 28,1931. B. WILLINGHAM 1 KNITTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 14 19250 Patented July 28, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MILLS, 0F ATLANTA, GEORGIA,

A CORPORATION 0F GEORGIA KNITTING MACHINE lApplicationfixed April 14,

This invention relates to improvements in a method and a machine for kn1tt1ng a relnforclng backing to a cushioning pad, the

.filling of which is formed of yarn roving la'id in successive plies in the body of the pad, each ply being knitted tothe adjacent plies and to the fabric backing as the formation of the padprogresses. In its general structure the machine employed is similar t0 the machine disclosed in Patent No. 246,248 of August 23, 1881, to Upton, and the filling of the cushioning pad is similar to that disclosed in Patent -N.o.222,752', of December 15, 1879, to Townsend.' lVhile the latter discloses a lling formed of roving plies knitted together, yet it does not disclose .a woven fabric knitted to the filling to provide a reinforcing backing therefor.

Cushioning pads of the' kind under consideration are extensively usedon the presser rolls of ironing machines employed in laundry work. Pads so employed are subjected to excessive wear and tearand when they are formed of roving plies knitted together, the threads become worn and the plies are broken apart to the detriment of the pads.

One of the objects of the instant invention is to provide the ply pad with a reinforcing backing of Woven fabric to strengthen the pad to withstand the strain tending to separate the plies. This is accomplished by knitting to one face of the pad a stout burlap. In forming the pad the yarn roving is laid a ply at a time and after it is laid each ply is knitted to the preceding ply. Simultaneously with laying of the plies the' burlap 2is drawn forward to contact kwith a. side of the plies as they are laid. After each, ply is laid, it and the adjacent part of the brlap are knitted together and both to the previously laid ply. The finished product forms a pad in which the lling is formed of a series i of'zplies laid side by side and burlap cover-V ing one side of the filling, each ply being knitted to the adjacent plies and to the adjacent part of the burlap.

The means for forming the pad are described in detail hereinafter, pointed out in the appended claimsand illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

1930. Serial No. 444,205.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a knitting machine for knitting together the yarn plies of the pad filling and for knitting the burlap backing to the plies as the latter are knitted together.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a detail View,I showing a crosssection of the trough for holding the .plies of yarn roving during the knitting operation;

also, itshows the opposite needle bars" and one of the guides forlooping the'V thread around the needles.

F igureV 4 is a similar view, showing the bar carryingthe pointed needles in va raised position, with one of the needles extending through the burlap and in open position to receive the next loop of the thread.

Figure 5 is a detail view, showing a pointed needle engaging a loop of the thread and the needle just starting on its downward movement.

Figure 6 is a perspective view, showing a section of the completed pad, the burlap appearing on the upper side of the pad. i

Figure 7 is a similar view, showing an end of the twisted yarn roving.

Figure 8 is a'detail view, showing the swinging arm and presserfoot for laying the roving preliminary to a knitting operation.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 d esignates the supporting frame of the machlne and extending longitudinally of the same 1s a trough-like guide-way 2 formed by opp0- site vertical side walls extending acrossthe frame of the machine. Through thefguideway the pad is advanced downwardly as 1t is being formed. Along opposite sides of the guide-way extendthe bars 3 and 4, respectively carrying the lines of latch needles 5 and 6, the former being blunt and the latter pointed at their respective ends. The se needle-bars are oppositely reciprocated 1n vertical directions, the bar 3 being reciprocated by the cams 7 on the driven Vshaft 8 engaging rolls on the lower ends of the rods 9 `cams 9 on the shaft 8 engaging rolls on the lower 'ends of the rods 1Q extending downward from the ends of the bar 4. The cam shaft 8 is rotated by the train of gears 11, Y12 and 13 transmitting the drive from the main shaft 14 to the cam shaft. On one end of the smain shaft is a pulley 15 to engage the loop of a driving belt (not shown), and on the `other end of the shaft is the hand wheel-16 lfor adjusting the mechanism.

Mounted'above the needle bars is the bar `17carrying the thread-guides 18 in cooperative' relationto the needles 5 and 6. The bar 17 is carried by the hangers 18 andf19. The hangers 18vare each fixed at their upper ends to the roclnshaft 20 and have a sliding pivotal connection at their lower ends with the bar 17, as at 21. The hangers 19 are fixed at their lower ends to the bar 17 and have sliding pivotal connections, as at 22, at their upper ends with the rock-shaft 20. As the rockshaft 2O is oscillated the thread-guide bar 17 is swung back and forth across the needle bars 3 and 4. On an end 'of the rock shaft 20 is fixed the crank-arm 23 having an adjustable extension 24 at its free end. A lever 25 ispivoted to the mainframe 1, as at 26,-and

at its upper end it is connected by the'link 27 with the adjustable extension 24 'on the crankarm 23. Pivoted to the lower end ofthe lever 25 is the yoke 28 engaging cam grooves in the face of the cam wheel 29 Ifixed on the shaft 8. The rotation'of the cam-wheel 29 vibratesthe lever 25, which in turn rocks the crank-arm 23 and the shaft 20, thereby oscillating" the bar 17 to move the thread-guides 18 back and -v forth between the needles 5 and 6 when the the roll 35-engaged by the pattern chain 36 carried byl the sheave 37 fixed on 'the stub'- shaft 38 ournaled in the bracket 39 secured to the frame of the machine. Journaled to the bracket 34 is the vertical shaft 40 having at its lower end abevel-gearvconnection 41 with the shaft 8, and at its upper end by a similar connection (not shown) with the stub-shaft 38. By means of the intervening mechanism the drive of the shaft 8 is transmitted to the i pattern chain 36, the travel of which imparts an oscillatory movement to the bell-crank lever 33, therebyreciprocating in a longitudinal direction the bar .17 lcarrying the fthread-guides. By the foregoing mechanism the bar 17 is reciprocated longitudinally and is rocked transversely;v This vcompoundA movement of the barmoves the thread-guides to loop the threads around the needles in the knitting operation.

Means are provided for laying the roving a in successive plies in the trough-like guideway 2. Pivoted at its upper end inthe frame ofJ the machine is the swinging arm 42 oscillative in a vertical plane includin the longitudinal axis of the guide-way. lidable on the. lower end of the swinging a'r'm is the 'carrier or presser-foot 43 normally projected lfrom the end of the arm bythe compressed coiled spring 44. As the arm is oscillated the carrier or presser-foot tends to ride on the upper edges of the side walls forming the guide-Way 2. The arm is oscillated by the rod 45 connecting the upper part ofthe arm with the crank 46 on the shaft 47 journaled in the bracket 48 secured to the frame ofthe machine. Fixed on the shaft 47 is a sprocket wheel 49 connected by the chain 50 with a similar wheel (not shown) on the stubshaft 38. By this mechanism the drive of the stub-shaft is transmitted to the arm 42 to oscillate the latter so that the presser-foot travels back and forth along the guide-way 2. On the upper part of the arm 42 is the ferrule 51 through which passes the roving a and through the guide-opening 52 in the presser-foot. As the presser-'foot travels back and forth over the guide-Way 2 the roving is laid in successiveplies inthe guide-way, the last-.laid ly. being positioned flush with the upper e ges the guide-way to e knitted to the preceding ply. As a ply is laid, the presser-foot forces Agf the-side Walls forming the preceding plies, which have been knitted y together, downward through the guide-way.

At the same time that the plies are' knitted together -to form the filling for the pad, the burlap backing b is knitted to one face of the filling. Extending -along ohe` side of the machine is the horizontal roller 53 journaled at its ends in the brackets 54 secured to the frame of the machine; rlihis roller carries the roll of burlap one end of which, drawn from the roll, passes over the lower horizon-' tal guide-rod 54', and vbeneath the upperN guide-rodl55 extending in close parallel to the vertical travel of the pointed needles 6.

On leaving the guide-rod or bar 55, the bur# lap passes overthe edge of the guide-way 2 adjacent to the pointed needles and downward between the wall of the guide-way and the pad-filling. Inpassing over the edge of the guide-way 2, the burlap is maintained in a .mooh xenlded cplndition as it is in errm tent e t roug the uid -wa b the action )bf the presser-foot? y As each ply of the filling is knitted to the preceding ply, by the same knitting operation 1t is knitted to the burlap between it and the wall of guide-way 2. The knitting is done' according to the operation ordinarily em- During a pause in the reciprocation of the needles in an upper "position the threadguides 18, actuated by the compound movement of the bar 17, loop the threads c around the needles on one side and then around the needles on the opposite side as the positions of the two lines of needles are reversed by the opposite reciprocation of their respective bars. As the burlapeXtends across the `line of play of the needles 6, these needles are sharpened so that they easily pass through the burlap in the knitting operation. In their upward movement, the sharpened needles pass through the burlap close to the bar 55, the latteriholding the burlap against the upward thrust of the needles. In the downward position, each of the needles 6 engages the loop previously formed in the thread, as shown in Fig. 3, and the latch is turned back byits spring to the `dotted line position. As itl moves upward', the needle with the latch turned back passes through theloop. In the extreme upward position of the needle, the Vturned-back latch having passed the bar 55 springs open 4against the bar and the thread is again looped around the needle. is closed by the bar 55 and the new loop is drawn through the burlap and also through the preceding loop. The other set of needles 5 act in a similar manner, but as they do not pass through the burlap a bar similar to the guide-bar 55 is not required with these needles. As the two sets of needles are oppositely reciprocatedv and as the threads are looped from the needles of one set to those of the other, the threads are knitted through the burlap andover the previously laid ply of filling, thereby securing the parts together vand this operation is repeated until the pad lis formed..

In the practical operation of the machine considerable trouble was experienced with the needles passing through the burlap. In passing through the burlap and in Contact with the yarn of the plies a needle picked up small particles of lint that, seemingly, were forced into the latch joint by the passage of the needle through the burlap. The lint in the joint clogged the latch so that often it does not open on the down stroke of the needle to release the previously f-ormed loop. To eliminate this difliculty, means are provided to jar the bar carrying these needles on the down stroke, to free the latches from the lint S0 that they can respond to the opening action of their springs. vAt each end of the bar 3 carrying the pointed needles 6 isa projecting lug 56. Mounted on the shaft 14 are the cams 57 in a position to strike simultaneously the lugs 56 as the shaft rotates and the needle bar is in a lowered position. The blow to the needle bar imparts a jar to the needles that dislodges any lint clogging the latches so that the latter respond to the action of their As the needle descends the latch` springs to open the respective needles preliminary to the upward niovementofthe same. It is obvious that the jarring mechanism can also be applied to the other needle bar, if deemed advisable, but so far trouble has been experienced only with the needles that pass through the burlap.

The pad formed bythe operation of the machine, as illustrated by Fig. 6, comprises a filling composed of yarn roving or batten arranged in successive plies on a burlap backing, with each ply knitted to the adjacent plies and to the burlap. The knitted threads extend around each ply and are knitted together between the adj acent plies, the threads are also knitted through the burlap. The engaged loops of the knitted threads extend in parallel lines on both sides of the finished pad, longitudinally thereof, and transversely of the plies. The burlap affords a strong reinforcement to the pad and owing to its coarse weave, offers but little obstruction to the needles passing therethrough in the knitting operation. y

Having now described my invention, what I claim is: f

1. In a knitting machine, the combination of an elongated horizontal guide-Way, with a set of alined needles and a mounting therefor on each longitudinal side of the guide-way, means for oppositely reciprocating the sets of needles in vertical directions, means for\ -guiding a web of fabric through the line of reciprocation of one of the sets of needles and over vthe adjacent edge of the guide-way to enter the latter, reciprocating means for laying roving in successive plies in the guide- Way against the fabric therein, and a set of thread-guides mounted to coact with the two sets of needles to supply thread thereto, the sets of needles and thread-guides cooperating to knit together the successively laid plies and the plies to the fabric.

2. In a knitting machine, the combination of an elongated horizontal guide-way, with a set of alined needles and a mounting therefor on each longitudinal side of the guide-way, means for oppositely reciprocating the sets of needles in vertical directions, means for guiding a web of fabric through the line of reciprocation of one ofthe sets'of needles and over the adjacent edge of the guide-Way to enter the latter, said guiding means includi ing a bar extending parallel to the adjacent ,120

set of needles and immediately above the path oftravel of the fabric, said bar operating to hold the fabric against the upward thrust of lthe adjacent needles through the fabric, re-

ciprocating means for laying roving in successive plies inthe guide-Way against the fabric therein, and a set of thread-guides mounted to coact with the two sets of needles to 'supplythreads thereto, the sets of needles and thread-guides cooperating to knit together and successively laid plies and the plies to the fabric. p l

'3. In a knitting machine, the comb1nat1on of an elongated horizontal guide-Way, with a set of alined latch needles and a' mounting therefor on each longitudinal side of the guidewvay, means for oppositely reciprocating the sets of needles in vertical directions, j

'Y means for laying roving in successive plies in the guide-Way against the fabric therein, a set ofthread-guides mounted to coact with the two sets of needles to supply thread thereto, the sets of needles and thread-guides cooperating to knit together the successively laid plies and the plies to the fabric,`and means for striking the mounting for the needles that knit through the fabric to loosen the latches of said needles preliminary to the Y passage of said needles through the fabric.,

4. In a knitting machine, the combination of a set of latch needles carried by a horizontal bar reciprocative in a vertical direction, lugs on the opposite ends of the bar, a rotatable shaft, and cams carried by the shaft to strike the lugs when the bar is in a lower position, the blow imparted to the lugs operating to jar theneedles to free their latches.

5. In a knitting machine, the combination ofan elongated support for guiding a web of Woven fabric, with a carrier reciprocative along the support for laying successive plies of roving across the web of fabric carried by the support, and knitting mechanism operative to knit simultaneously each ply as it is laid to the previously laidj ply and to the adjacent part of the fabric vcarried by the support to form a cushioning pad With the plies providing the filling for the pad and the falric forming a reinforcing backing for the pa Y 6. In a knitting machine, the combination of an elongated guide-Way, with means for guiding a Web of fabric through the guideway, a carrier movable back and forth along the guide-Way for laying roving in successive plies in the guide-wayagainst the fabric therein, and knitting mechanism operative tol knit simultaneously, each ply as it is laid to the previously laidlply and to the adjacent part of the fabric carried by the guide-Way to mechanism operative to knit simultaneously each ply as it is laid tothe previously laid ply and to the adjacent part ofthe fabric carrled by the guide-Way to form a cushioning pad With the plies providing. the filling for the pad and the fabric forming a reinforcing` backing for the pad.

8. The method of forming a cushioning pad, consisting in maintaining a web of Woven fabric extended transversely of the web, laying a strand` of yarn roving in successive contacting plies across the extended Web, and simultaneously knitting each ply as it is laid to the previouslylaid ply and to viding the filling for 'thepad and the fabric forming a reinforcing backing for the pad.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

BAYNARD l/VILLINGHAM.

form a cushioning pad with the plies providi ing the filling for the pad and the fabric forming a reinforcing backing for the pad.

7 In a knitting machine, the combination of means for supporting a. roll of\w0ven fabric, With'fan elongated guide-Way, means for guiding the fabric from the roll through the elongated guide-way,wa carrier movable back and forth along the guide-way for laying roving in successive plies in the guide- Way against the fabric therein, and knitting 'the fabric to form a pad With lthe plies pro- 80 

